Come Together
by Gothic984
Summary: Gail tries to deal with her feelings following her recent hospital stay and Lucas suspects she is hiding something.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories Emotion, Old Friends, Family, Difficult Decisions, Reflection, Spirit, Acceptance, Whole Again, Homecoming, Oh Father, Birthday Surprises, Misguided Feelings, New Year, Picture Perfect, Kinship, Big River, Sunday Morning Coming Down, To Beat The Devil, Best Of All Possible Worlds, Little Girl Lost, Wicked Games, Monster Bash, It Takes Two To Tango, Nobody Wins and Down the rabbit hole.

It was a cold December morning in Trinity South Carolina, grey clouds covered the sky and fine rain fell over the quiet town. Lucas Buck lay warm in his large bed, with his arm around his companion. He had awoken at the sound of her sharp intake of breath and watched contently, as her breathing relaxing and her body lay peacefully.

It had been a week since the incident with Gail in the hospital and she had insisted on their baby remaining in the postnatal ward, to ensure everything was alright. Lucas had sensed some conflict within her and insisted on her staying with him until she had fully recovered from her ordeal, considering she had checked herself out of the hospital against Doctors orders.

Something did not feel right and he could not place his finger on it. Gail was acting as a new Mother would, showing concern over her baby and spending most her time in the hospital watching him; however, something deep within him called for him to remain cautious, therefore, he did not take no for an answer when he offered his place to her.

Gail had reluctantly agreed to allow him to take care of her and made it clear that she had no desire for sexual activities, due to her figure not being toned like it once was. As Lucas watched her intently while she lay peacefully asleep by his side, he yearned to be inside of her and her figure only reminded him of the fact that she had given him a child; therefore, it made him want her more.

Lucas smiled as she turned towards him and he slipped his hand beneath her nightdress. When she let out a low aroused moan as he gently caressed her sweet spot with his fingers, his smile grew wider and he felt his manhood become hard. He moved his body closer to hers and brushed his nose affectionately against hers, then began to play with her sweet spot.

Gail felt an exquisite sensation flow through her body and licked her lips, before opening her eyes and being met by Lucas' lips on hers. She allowed him to kiss her softly for a moment and took his tongue in her mouth, then took hold of his hand and gently removed it from between her legs. 'We've been over this Master Buck' she teased and turned around so her back was facing him.

Lucas narrowed his eyes at her reaction to the pleasure he had clearly been giving her, then pulled her back into him and reached under her nightdress again. 'We've been over the fact that you don't want any penetration Miss Emory; however, there's no law against me servicin' you in other ways' he whispered, then nipped at her ear playfully.

'Leave it to the mighty Lucas Buck to find a loop hole' she forced a laugh, then took a deep intake of breath and tried to push down her arousal.

The truth was that she could not bare to be here and allow him to touch her, until she had gotten the answers to her suspicions. Her body was clearly betraying her and reacting to his stimulating touch; however, her mind was screaming for him to stop this.

She opened her eyes and stared at the bedroom door, willing someone to disturb them; however, it was just them here. She felt his hard manhood on her behind and reached for it, as he expected her to do. When she heard his loud aroused moan, she felt her body quiver and the yearning for him to be inside of her became strong.

Lucas sensed her holding back and switched tactics. He moved his left arm under her hips and used this hand to play with her sweet spot, while his right hand was now free to caress her breasts. He nipped and sucked her neck seductively, whilst trying to control the urge to rip her hand off his manhood and take her roughly here.

The pleasure he felt with this simple act was exquisite and it reaffirmed his faith that they were meant to be, as she could please him so much just using her hand. He felt his climax building within him and increased the speed of his fingers. He knew she was delicate after what she had been through and took care to ensure he was not hurting her.

Gail felt his movements speed up and could not stop her aroused moans, she decided to let go to get this over with and instantly felt her climax rise within her. She sped up her movements then called out his name as they both came together and he bit down hard on her shoulder passionately. The voice of her Father telling her that she got her womanly ways from her Mother flowed through her brain and she bit her lip in exasperation, then started to get out of the bed.

'Where do you think you're goin' Miss Emory?' Lucas asked playfully, as he pulled her down and kissed her passionately.

Gail allowed him to control her for a moment, then broke free. 'I need to go clean up...these sheets aren't going to clean themselves Sheriff' she said sweetly and forced a smile.

Lucas nodded and signaled for her to get up; however, he watched her closely as she put on her robe and left the bedroom. She was not herself, that was clear and he sensed that she was hiding something from him. Her quickness to get away from him after their sensational act and the guilt he caught in her eyes was concerning, he would have to keep a close eye on her to ensure things were playing out as they should.

* * *

Merlyn sat on the bench outside Abe's Antique Store, admiring the paint job her brother had done the previous week. Considering he was so young, he had done a good job and she was proud that he had offered to help out someone in need.

After the events of the previous week, Merlyn had not been feeling herself. She did not know whether it was down to the fact that her Mother had nearly hurt her cousin over some petty jealousy, or the fact that she had kissed Matt Crower. The whole situation with what her Mother had done was horrendous and she did not know how she was going to forgive her; however, thinking back to Matt's soft lips on her's made her forget about all that drama and all she could think about was him.

Matt had avoided her as much as possible after she had kissed him. She even suspected that he had not put up much of a fight over Gail checking herself out of the hospital, as it would keep Merlyn away from his place of work. She could not blame him for reacting in such a way, he was an adult and she was a teenager. He was unaware of who she really was and how much she had seen; therefore, he had no idea that she was mature enough to make these decisions for herself and probably felt like he had taken advantage.

'Well that's what happens when a 16 year old girl throws herself at an older man' Lucas said appearing next to her, casually sitting on the bench.

Merlyn sighed at this interruption and went to stand up; however, Lucas pulled her back down and put his arm around her shoulder, before giving a friendly wave to a resident who was walking past on the other side of the road. 'Get off me Lucas' she ordered.

'Have you spend much time with your cousin lately?' he asked, disregarding her order.

Merlyn turned towards him angrily, then noticed the look of mischief in his eyes and chose to handle him with care. She knew that look and would not give him any reason to lash out at her. 'I've not had much chance with her being at the hospital with the baby all day, why?'

Lucas sighed and shook his head. 'You're sure that's where she is everyday?' he asked suspiciously.

Merlyn watched Lucas carefully, she did not understand why he was acting this way and as far as she knew, everything was fine with him and Gail. 'Where else would she be Lucas? She's just had a baby, why would she be anywhere else?'

Lucas nodded and pondered on her comments for a moment. 'I suppose you're right Missy, but if you're lyin' to me...'

'Lyin' about what?...' Merlyn snapped and forced herself up, '...You made pretty damn sure no-one could see Gail when she left the hospital, as you forced her to stay with you...What in the hell do you think i know that you wouldn't?'

Lucas stood up and approached Merlyn, the girl was actually making sense and he nearly started to doubt his suspicions; however, then he remembered Gail's strange behaviour this morning and sighed. 'Alright, you think everythin' is fine and dandy? I guess that's good enough for me, comin' from someone so pure and innocent...but if you start to suspect somethin' different, you'd do well to let me know. Unless you want that good Doctor of yours to start hearin' voices again' he smiled and entered the Store to check on his old friend Abe.

Merlyn stood still for a moment, then started to wonder about her cousin. Clearly something had happened to cause this change in Lucas, so she had to find Gail to ensure she was aware of his current behaviour.

* * *

Rita paced around the room, holding the beautiful baby boy in her arms. She had tried to hand the child to her friend, after Gail had finished using a breast pump to ensure the baby had plenty of food; however, she was more standoffish today than she usual was and this caused the baby to start crying.

Rita had personally assigned herself to the postnatal ward to look after Lucas and Gail's baby. After what had happened the previous week she had felt responsible and wanted to make it up to them. Gail had insisted that what had happened was not her fault; however, it did not change how Rita felt and she was determined to make things right.

'Come on Gail, I really don't know what's up with you but this behaviour has to stop' Rita said and rocked the crying baby in her arms.

Gail had not meant to cause the baby to cry, she just could not bare to hold him after her actions with Lucas this morning. She was disappointed with herself and it had not helped her stick to her usual caring fascade when it came to the baby. 'I just don't want to hold him right now Rita, is that so bad?' she asked, not appreciating her friends dramatic reaction to her not wanting to hold the baby.

'It's not just you not wanting to hold him Gail, you won't take him, you won't breastfeed him...This boy needs his Mother and I don't understand why you're not steppin' up' she replied honestly and shook her head when the baby's cries became louder.

Gail rolled her eyes and shook her head. If she could not stand to be with the baby, how was she supposed to breastfeed him? This was becoming a problem that she was unable to resolve and if Lucas decided to check in on them at this moment in time, he would see her true feelings clear as day.

'Give him here' Merlyn said, as she entered the room and took the baby.

Gail smiled at her cousin when the baby stopped crying, then walked towards the window and spotted the navy blue Crown Victoria parked out front of the hospital. 'Leave us' she told Rita and continued to look out of the window.

Merlyn watched as Rita left, with a look of frustration in her eyes. She approached her cousin and held out the baby to her. 'He's lookin' for somethin' and he's determined to find it...Take the baby Gail'

Gail turned towards Merlyn and stared deep into her eyes. 'Your Mother...'

'Is dead and has been for a long time...now, take the damn baby' she ordered.

Gail narrowed her eyes at her, then took hold of the baby. When he began to cry, she stroked his cheek gently with her finger and tried to disregard her Father's laughter in her head. The baby stopped crying and stared up at his Mother, Gail forced a reassuring smile and held him tight.

'Well look what we have here' Lucas said, leaning against the open door. After seeing to Abe, he wanted to check on his love to see if she was where she was supposed to be.

Gail rocked the baby in her arms and chose to disregard Lucas' presence. 'I hope you didn't walk all the way over her from the Store' she said to Merlyn and started pacing the room.

Lucas watched as Gail attempted to ignore his presence and smiled at how good she looked holding their child. 'Yeah, how did you manage to beat me here Missy? Enquirin' minds wanna know' he smirked.

Merlyn regarded Lucas with irritation, then shook her head. 'Not that it's anyone's business, but TJ dropped me off'

'As in TJ who owns the old Bowen Junkyard?' Gail asked curiously.

'You don't half have a way with men Darlin'...' Lucas laughed and went to Gail's side, '...You kiss him like you did Harvard?'

'You did what?' Gail snapped and shrugged off Lucas' attempt to stroke her back.

Merlyn glared at Lucas with hatred in her eyes, she had not told Gail what she had done and resented Lucas' insinuation that she was easy. 'It's not what you think and I know TJ from spending time with Poppy He's always happy to drop me off places, so you can get your mind out the gutter' she snapped at Lucas.

Gail handed the baby to Lucas and approached Merlyn angrily. 'Tell me you didn't do what he's saying you did? Please give me some sort of sign that you've got more common sense than that'

Merlyn stared down at her hands and attempted to hide the guilt that was written all over her face. She had not wanted to burden Gail with this and could not believe Lucas ratted her out.

Lucas laughed at the conflict he had caused, he enjoyed tormenting Merlyn and he had the added bonus of dropping Harvard in it too with this one. Had this occurred when Matt first came into Caleb's life, Lucas would have carted him off to a Jail cell for this sort of behaviour; however, he believed the man would incur a worse punishment now that Gail knew their secret.

Lucas stood up, handed Gail the baby and placed a soft kiss on both of their heads. 'Well I guess I better scoot and get back to work...You two enjoy your family chat' he smirked, then left them alone in the hospital room.

Merlyn closed the door behind Lucas after he left and turned towards Gail. 'He was here checkin' up on you and...'

'I know what he was doing...' Gail interrupted and handed Merlyn the baby. '...I'm more concerned with what you're doing at this moment in time'

Merlyn held the baby tight and sighed. 'It was nothin' Gail'

'Is that so? Well why can't you wipe that smile off of your face when the kiss was mentioned?' Gail asked disapprovingly.

Merlyn bit her lip, in an attempt to hide her smile and turned away from her cousin.

Gail shook her head in exasperation, she really did not need this right now with all that was going on. 'I haven't got time for this...Do me a favour and watch him for an hour or so'

Merlyn nodded and watched as Gail gathered her jacket and backpack. 'Where are you goin'?' she asked curiously, knowing this is what Lucas had been referring to earlier.

'It's better if you don't know...Just cover for me and don't go near Matt Crower' she ordered, then headed out of the hospital room and started towards her car.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Lucas sat on the bonnet of his car, waiting for Walter Maine to finish up with his wood chopping. After he had caused mischief at the hospital with Gail and Merlyn, he was in the mood for some good old fashioned fun and Walter sprang to mind when he was driving aimlessly through the streets of his town.

Walter was a good God fearing man, like most here in Trinity. He had a young wife and 3 children, in addition to owning his own fertilizer business and was never a bother to anyone; however, Lucas was in the mood to test someone's boundaries and Walter had drawn the short straw.

Walter put down his ax when felt as though he was being watched and spotted Lucas sat on the car bonnet. His heart sank when he saw the man and he approached him slowly, hoping this was just a friendly visit. He knew one day Lucas would come to claim something from him, that's how the deals worked; however, it had been so long ago that he thought Lucas had forgotten about him.

'No such luck friend...How's the business? Lucas asked, as he stood up from his seated position.

Walter forced a smile and could not hide his nervousness. 'Business is good...I always appreciated your help with that' he stuttered.

Lucas nodded, 'And that pretty young wife and family of yours, how are they doin?'

Walter glanced at his small home, to ensure his wife was safe inside then turned back towards Lucas. 'They're good Sheriff...everythin's fine'

'Glad to hear it...' Lucas smiled and patted the man on the back, '...My girl just gave birth to my baby boy, have you heard?'

Walter watched Lucas carefully, of course he had heard the news of Lucas Bucks child being born, it was the talk of the town. All the gossiping housewives wanted to get a look at that child and the woman who had given birth to him, according to his wife it was a big shot professional type; however, that type of gossip did not interest him. 'I had heard, congratulations Sheriff...are Momma and baby well?' he asked, trying to make small talk.

Lucas laughed and his smile grew wider. 'Momma and baby are very well, in fact Momma is feistier than ever...Speakin' of which, your Betty works in the hospital doesn't she?'

'She does, she works part time as a Nurse' Walter answered.

Lucas inhaled deeply, then nodded. 'That's right, I've seen her around. Pretty little thing that one, especially in her Nurses uniform' he goaded, sensing Walters insecurities.

Walter turned away from Lucas nervously and took off his cap. He knew a lot of men in the town found Betty attractive and he was forever fighting over inappropriate comments that they made. This was different, this was Lucas Buck and he did not dare raise a hand towards this man. 'She's beautiful, she's my one and only...What can I do for you Sheriff?' he asked, wanted desperately for this visit to end.

Lucas watched as the man before him began to sweat, he could sense his anger at the comment he had made about his wife and it amused him watching this man fight his urges to defend her. 'Well I was hopin' that sexy little piece would keep an eye on my boy. You know, check on him and report back to me with anythin' unusual she might find with his Momma'

Walter stared at Lucas and tried to hide his anger. Why would he want his wife to get involved with his child? and why did he keep making inappropriate comments about her? He had no intention of allowing his wife to go near Lucas Buck and would certainly not allow her report to him. 'Betty's busy, she gotta look after the youngin's' he said and looked down at his hands when he saw something dark shift over Lucas's face.

'You're tellin' me no?' Lucas asked amused.

'Anythin' else you want I'll do Lucas...just leave my Betty out of it' he said nervously, trying to stop his body from shaking.

Lucas shook his head and smiled. 'Oh Walter, this is a shame' he sighed and headed for the driver side of his car. He did not bother wasting a final look at Walter, now came the fun part.

* * *

Caleb sat at his small desk, drumming his fingers on the text book Miss Coombs had handed out. Her tone had become monotonous and he was waiting for the end of school bell, so he could go to the park with Boone.

With all that had happened last week and the bitterness he was starting to feel, he had chosen to take a step back and reconnect with his friends. He had been too busy spending time with adults that he had forgotten about his friends and wanted to just be a child again. When the bell rang loudly in the classroom, he forced the text book into his backpack and started to rush out of the class with all the other children.

'Caleb Temple' Selena called as he ran past her desk and smiled when he stopped in his tracks, with Boone standing next to him.

'What?' Caleb asked, not able to hide his irritation at being held back.

Selena let out a small laugh, his Father had clearly rubbed off on him. 'You're in detention Caleb, now sit down' she ordered.

'What for?' Boone asked confused.

'Yeah, what for?' Gail asked sweetly, placing a protective hand on Caleb's shoulder.

Caleb looked up at Gail and smiled when she winked at him. He had not seen her much with Lucas guarding her and it was good to see her looking well.

'Miss Emory...I didn't think I'd see you around, considering you're on house arrest' Selena said cattily and stood up from her seated position behind the desk.

'Well, a girl has to keep things fresh...Maybe I just like my handcuffs' she smiled suggestively, then signaled for Caleb and Boone to leave the classroom.

Caleb sensed this was an adult only conversation and rushed out of the classroom with Boone.

'I know you have a superiority complex and all, but this is my classroom and you have no right to pull rank here' Selena snapped.

'Oh get off your high horse and back off of my cousin...' Gail warned, '...So Caleb hasn't completed his homework this week, he's had a lot going on and you know it...Besides, it not him that you truly want to punish'

Selena let out a bitter laugh and shook her head. She had been warned by the Principal to stop gunning for Caleb Temple and she knew his personal circumstances on this occasion should give him a pass on detention; however, she really wanted to hurt that family.

'So hurt me...come on Selena, I'm right here' Gail goaded, reading her mind.

Selena approached Gail and squared up to her, then shook her head. 'I've already been warned against doing anything against the lovely Miss Emory'

'Poor puppy...did Master tighten the leash?' Gail smiled smugly.

Selena felt her blood boiling and stared at the woman before her with contempt. 'What do you want Gail?' she asked, not backing down her stance.

Gail stared deeply into Selena's eyes, her resentment was radiating off of her and it amused her. 'I'm bored and require some company that isn't as pure and innocent as my current friend list'

Selena took a step back and regarded Gail suspiciously. 'You want to do something with me?' she asked in disbelief.

'Disregarding my partner, you're the most questionable person I know' Gail shrugged.

Selena thought for a moment, she did not trust Gail; however, there was something about the woman that excited her when she got in one of these moods. 'What do you have in mind?' Selena asked curiously.

'My body has been a temple for close to 9 months...what don't I have in mind?' Gail laughed.

Selena smiled and nodded, she liked this side of Gail and could not resist her when she got like this. Besides, she had nothing better to do with her evening. 'Alright, let's do this. When and where should we meet?'

Gail went to the large desk at the front of the classroom and picked up Selena's bag. 'There's no time like the present Teacher...what are we waiting for?'

Selena shook her head, then reached for her bag and signaled for Gail to follow her out of the classroom. She knew Lucas would not be impressed that the Mother of his new born baby was out on the town with his ex-girlfriend and that would make this outing all the more fun.

* * *

Lucas stood in the Pool Hall, watching Billy take his second shot and had a sip of his beer. The man was starting to get a hang of this game and he was happy for some real competition.

'So you think Gail is up to something?' Billy asked, after he'd taken his shot and missed the pocket.

Lucas shrugged and started walking around the table. 'I'm not sure, there's somethin' different about her and I can't tell whether it's just nerves, or whether she's not taken to the boy'

Billy took a large sip of his beer and leaned on his Pool cue. 'Speaking as someone who used to know her, I can tell you that she want's the child...she always did. The first loss took her hard and she hid her feelings well, maybe this is just the shock of being a new Mother'

'Well she has always been independent and on her own' Lucas sighed, as he leaned down to take his shot. He smiled when the ball traveled to the pocket effortlessly and Billy cursed.

'She does hate having to be responsible for so many people...' Billy pondered out loud, as he watched Lucas pot another ball easily. '...You pulling rank and forcing her to stay in that behemoth place of yours won't have helped her transition here'

Lucas thought on that for a moment and cursed when he missed the pocket, due to being distracted. 'What else was I supposed to do? If I allowed her to stay at her place, she'd insist on going back to work and doing god knows what instead of resting'

'You think she's resting now?' Billy smiled and signaled towards the bar.

Lucas glanced over his shoulder and spotted Gail in a short black dress, with Selena by her side. Both women were stood facing each other and downed a shot, before turning and ordering another. Lucas cursed himself for not being aware of his love's location and believing she had remained in the hospital with his boy. He went to go to the bar to confront her; however, he felt a hand on his arm.

'Leave her be...you'll only make things worse' Billy advised.

'You like them two bein' together?' Lucas asked, irritated.

'Hell no! Gail knows things that I'd never want Selena to know, but if we go over there hot headed, it won't end well...Now come on Sheriff, it's my shot' Billy smiled and turned back towards the Pool table.

* * *

Gail sensed Lucas' eyes on her and smiled. If he suspected something was wrong, she would give him something to occupy his thoughts. She disregarded her Fathers voice in her head praising her plan and ordered two more shots, when Selena noticed the pair by the Pool table she laughed and shook her head.

'Fancy seeing those two, in their favorite recreational spot' Selena said knowingly and downed her second shot.

Gail shrugged, 'Do they bother you?'

Selena glanced at Lucas, who was watching them like a hawk. 'No, but we clearly bother him' she signaled towards Lucas.

Gail picked up the bottle of wine she had ordered and signaled for Selena to grab the glasses. 'Good, now come on...I want some music' she smiled devilishly and they headed for the jukebox.

* * *

Lucas was so focused on Gail that he had not noticed Walters wife walk into the establishment. He had planted a little seed in her mind earlier and the woman had clearly taken to the suggestion, as here she was looking for a good time. It took Lucas a few moments before he felt her presence and turned towards the bar, Betty had not wasted any time and was sat on a bar stool with Tom Reyner's hand on her knee.

Lucas smiled to himself and turned his attention back to the game, Billy had started to pull some points back and he did not want to allow the man to win just because he was distracted.

'If I were you, I'd watch where my eyes traveled' Billy laughed, noticing Lucas' attention was caught by a beautiful woman.

'It ain't like that friend...besides, my other half is too busy with our ex to be concerned with where my attention lies' Lucas said, as he lined up his shot.

Billy shook his head and glanced at the women in the corner, they had selected eighties party tunes from the jukebox and it was getting hard to concentrate. 'How long should we wait before crashing their party?' he asked.

The loud laughter of Selena and Gail cut through Lucas' concentration, which caused him to miss his shot. 'Damn!' he snapped and ran his fingers through his hair.

Billy smiled and leaned down to take the last shot of the game. 'Well Buck, it looks like you truly are defeated' he laughed and potted the last ball of the match.

Lucas shook his head and stormed over to the bar, then ordered a bottle of wine and two glasses of Bourbon. He was done allowing the women to get to him; therefore, he picked up the bottle of wine and his glass of Bourbon, then headed to the booth.

Selena caught sight of Lucas approaching before Gail did and touched Gail's hand. 'We've got company' she whispered and finished her glass of wine.

Gail waited for the inevitable, then closed her eyes when she felt Lucas' hand stroke her shoulder and he leaned over her to place the bottle of wine on the table.

'To what do we owe the pleasure Sheriff?' Selena asked sweetly, noticing Gail's unease.

'It's a crime for such beautiful women to be over here all alone' Lucas said charmingly and let his hand gently stroke Gail's back.

Selena was intrigued as to why Gail was so quiet and why she was clearly attempting to withstand Lucas' charm. 'Well, us two beautiful women and more than happy with the company of each other' she smiled, then reached for Gail's hand and nipped at her fingers suggestively.

Lucas watched as Gail allowed Selena to play with her hand and did not pull away. This strange behaviour was becoming concerning and he placed both his hands on her shoulder dominantly.

'What's wrong Master Buck, are you too old for a little experimentation?' Gail teased seductively.

Selena loved when Gail took a turn like this, she could not help but like the woman when this side of her reared it's head. 'If our Sheriff is too old and tired for that short of thing, we've got a young handsome Doctor heading our way' Selena suggested and smiled when Billy finally joined them, with a glass of Bourbon in his hand.

Billy glanced at the booth intrigued. Selena had hold of Gail's hand and Gail was staring intently at Lucas, who would not take his eyes off of her. Billy started to wonder what he had walked in on and sat down next to Selena. 'Have I got an invite to this party?' he asked playfully.

Selena's smile grew wider and she reached under the table with her free hand, then cupped Billy's crotch. 'It appears we all have an invite honey' she whispered and licked her lips seductively.

Gail sensed the arousal of everyone at the booth and reached within herself for Rosemary. She allowed her darkness to be free and smiled when Lucas realised what she had done.

Suddenly a bottle smashed and there were screams coming from the bar. Lucas turned towards the sound, just in time to see Betty grab a broken bottle and stab Walter in the neck with it. This is not how it was supposed to happen, Betty was supposed to torture Walter with a number of one night stands before he became so angry that he killed her, then Walter would have to live with the guilt for the rest of his life.

'Oh sweetheart...Did I spoil your fun?' Gail asked amused.

Lucas gripped her shoulders tight, then released her when Billy jumped up from the booth to help the bleeding man.

'I guess this is going to remain a private party...duty calls Sheriff' Gail smiled, then took the new bottle of wine and filled both hers and Selena's glasses.

Lucas shook his head in disbelief. He did not know whether he was annoyed, or impressed that she had done such a thing to get his attention. Lucas stroked her cheek tenderly, then gripped her chin and turned her to him for a passionate kiss. 'I'll deal with you later Miss Emory' he smiled, then went towards the commotion at the bar.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Merlyn sat in the hospital room, watching the baby sleep. She had expected Gail to be back by now; however, there was no sign of her. She knew her cousin was mad at her and this was a kind of punishment, she supposed she deserved it after the trouble she had caused.

Matt Crower entered the hospital room, wanting to check on Gail's baby before he finished for the night; however, when he saw the object of his inappropriate affection, he quickly turned to leave.

'Please don't' Merlyn whispered, when she noticed Matt and smiled when he stayed in the room.

Matt sighed and took a deep breath, then went to the baby and smiled at how peaceful he looked while sleeping. 'Who'd have thought something so innocent could come from Lucas Buck' he asked, thinking out loud.

Merlyn nodded, she had been thinking the same thing. 'Technically he came from Gail, let's hope he has her traits'

Matt turned towards the girl and regarded her curiously. 'What do you know about Lucas Buck?'

'He's evil...' she shrugged, '...but he appears to genuinely feel somethin' for Gail'

'I never thought the man had a caring bone in his body, until I saw his reaction when she wouldn't wake up' Matt sighed and turned his attention towards the baby.

Merlyn watched Matt, she felt something stir in her stomach at the thought of being close to him and tried to push it away. 'I'm not convinced he can care for anyone, but he likes his possessions and clearly can't stand to lose them'

'That does sound more like him...' Matt laughed at her analysis of the situation, '...So what are you doing here so late in the evening? It's the baby's parents who should be watching over him, not you'

Merlyn laughed and shook her head. 'This is my punishment I guess...Gail wasn't pleased with what I did to you'

Matt let out a long breath and turned towards Merlyn. 'This isn't your fault...clearly I did something to lead you on'

'I'm not sorry Matt' she said honestly and approached him slowly.

Matt bit his lip and shook his head. 'It's me that should be sorry for...'

'Are you?' Merlyn interrupted and stared deep into his eyes. She had all day in this room to think about what she had done and she believed she was mature enough to handle whatever came next.

Matt looked into her eyes and smiled, he felt a strange feeling flow through him that he had not felt in years; however, he knew this was wrong.

'You better had be sorry' Gail warned, as she entered the room and shot Merlyn an angry glance.

Matt stepped back at the sound of his friends voice and walked towards the window, not wanting to face her.

Merlyn went to go to Matt; however, she felt her body freeze on the spot.

'You should go...now' Gail ordered calmly and watched as Merlyn regarded her angrily, then just left.

Gail walked towards her sleeping baby and stroked his cheek gently. She cursed herself for not feeling what she should for him, then turned her attention to Matt. 'What part of her looks old enough for any of his?' she asked, attempting to dial back her disappointment.

Matt shook his head as he stared out of the window. 'I didn't mean for this to happen' he sighed.

'But it did and I can sense you feel something for her Matt...Where do you really think this could go?'

Matt did not know what he felt and had not considered where this could lead, he was just taking one day at a time and trying to survive in this town. 'Sooner or later he's going to notice that you haven't taken to that child Gail. Then what will you do?' he asked, changing the subject.

Gail regarded Matt carefully and let out a long breath. He was her longest standing friend in Trinity, of course he could see past her act. She had confided in him on all sorts of subjects and children was one of them. 'It is that obvious?' she asked and sat down on the chair by the baby's cot.

Matt laughed, then turned towards her and sat next to her. 'I know you never planned on having children, I also know what you felt our Sheriff was when you first came to Trinity...It's not obvious to others yet, but you can't hide your true feelings forever'

Gail shook her head and placed her hand on Matt's knee. 'I think he may have assisted Gage with my parents death, I also think he may have killed Judith Temple...What am I supposed to do with that?'

Matt was thankful that his friend was still in there and she had not been blinded by her feelings for Lucas; however, this situation was not safe for her. 'You'll do what you always do, you won't rest until you have the answers...but you also have to start thinking about your son Gail. This isn't his fault and the longer you pull away from him, the more obvious your true feelings become'

Gail stood up and ran her fingers through her hair. 'We're both hopeless aren't we?' she let out a small laugh.

'That's probably why we get on so well' Matt smiled and stood up.

'You know what, you've been away from adults for far too long. Go grab your things, you're going to accompany me back to my companion for the evening' she said and dragged him out of the hospital room.

* * *

Lucas finished talking to the paramedics, then turned towards Floyd. He had ensured Walter would live to see another day and was not going to be beaten by his love, he just needed to rethink his strategy.

'So, Betty said something came over her and forced her to hurt Walter...ain't that strange?' Floyd asked, as he shifted uncomfortably on the spot.

Lucas patted Floyd on the shoulder and led him back to the police cruiser Betty was in. 'I've heard stranger excuses friend...why don't you take Betty to the Station and I'll interview her tomorrow' Lucas ordered and started to walk away.

'Ain't you gonna do it now? I mean what about their kids?' Floyd asked nervously.

Lucas shot Floyd a warning glance, this spectacle had already taken up an hour of his time and he wanted to get back to the Pool Hall.

'Never mind Lucas, I'll see you tomorrow' Floyd said and rushed to the car, sensing Lucas' anger.

Lucas took a deep breath and sighed, then headed back into the Pool Hall. Everything appeared to have calmed down, so he went to the bar and ordered himself a shot of Whiskey. After he had downed his drink, he glanced in the direction of Gail and Selena; however, his love was nowhere to be found.

Lucas closed his eyes and released his twin, in an attempt to pin point her location; however, he could not sense her in the vicinity, so he he crossed the room to where Billy was now sitting with Selena. 'Where is she?' Lucas demanded.

Selena laughed and shrugged. 'Little girl's room maybe' she said sarcastically.

Lucas could feel the rage rising within him and he had to use all of his strength not to set it loose on Selena. 'How long has she been gone?' he asked Billy.

Billy was very drunk at this point and could barely think straight. 'I dunno man, I finished with what's his name about 40 minutes ago and when I got back this little kitten was all on her lonesome' he smiled at Selena.

Lucas ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation at the people he chose to spend his time with, they were infuriating.

'Calm down Sheriff, I didn't go far...Miss me?' Gail asked sweetly, as she pulled Billy up and pushed him towards Lucas.

Matt disregarded Lucas and sat next to Gail in the booth. He could sense the mans anger and placed his arm around his friend protectively.

'Really? You think you're gonna have fun with him in a bar? I doubt fruit juice gives off the buzz you require Darlin'' Lucas said, trying to control his rage.

'Maybe it's the right kind of buzz that I need these days' she goaded and leaned into Matt.

Selena watched the group amused and decided to get involved, so she came around to Gail's side of the booth and forced herself in next to Matt. 'Maybe it's what we all need Sheriff' she teased and leaned her head on Matt's shoulder.

Lucas inhaled deeply and shook his head, he did not approve of this show of disobedience; however, he needed to remain calm and not react how they expected. 'You know what? You enjoy sober Harvard over there, me and Billy will be over by the bar having some real fun' he said, then headed towards the bar.

Gail glanced at Matt and laughed. 'See, everybody's happy' she smiled and took a large gulp of Selena's wine.

* * *

Billy sat outside the back of the Pool Hall with Lucas, taking in the night air. They had been flirting with some girls and allowing them to get close; however, Lucas had been in a foul mood ever since Matt had turned up with Gail and it had put a dampener on their fun.

Although he wanted to be with Gail's group, he had a kind of friendship now with Lucas and he would remain loyal. If someone told him a year ago that he would be taking Lucas Bucks side, he would have never have believed it; however, here he was on the side that he wanted so much to hate. 'Why don't we head to Jimmy's bar? The night is still young' he asked, breaking the silence.

Lucas was drunk and was ready to set his twin loose on the first poor soul that he came across; therefore, he chose to stay outside and allow himself a chance to calm down, before he really hurt someone. 'You go Billy-boy, I got unfinished business here' he sighed.

'Then what are we doing out here man? Let's go back in there and finish it' Billy said, sensing this mood was going to stick if he did not do something about it.

Lucas glanced at Billy and let out a small laugh. 'Do you know who I am friend and what I do to finish things?'

Billy was not intimidated by Lucas and actually enjoyed the mans company. So what if the guys morals were more questionable than most? It added to his character. 'You're the mighty Lucas Buck, who appears to be hiding from the source of his problems' Billy laughed, then headed back inside.

Lucas narrowed his eyes at Billy and followed hhim inside, then gave off a devilish grin when he noticed Matt Crower was sat on Selena's side of the booth. He approached Gail's position, then sat down beside her and gripped her knee tight. 'You got minute Miss Emory?' he asked charmingly and watched her carefully.

Gail had been waiting for this confrontation all evening and was thankful it was finally here. 'Lead the way Sheriff' she smiled sweetly.

Matt leaned over and went to take hold of Gail's arm; however, Selena grabbed his wrist gently and pulled it back. 'You'd do well to leave them be, she's a big girl and can take care of herself' she whispered, then smiled when Billy brought her another drink.

Lucas pulled Gail to the back of the Pool Hall, then threw her roughly against the wall. His rage was close to the surface now and he was struggling to control it, so he grabbed her neck and began to squeeze. 'You think it's acceptable to interfere with my deals sweetheart?' he asked, angrier than intended.

Gail allowed him to take hold of her in this rough manner and remained silent, it was all part of her plan.

'What? Cat got your tongue?...Where did you go before? You interfered and then disappeared, so what has your attention Gail?' Lucas asked irritated.

'Your son...' Gail whispered and watched as his face changed, '...Where do you think I picked Matt up? I'd gone to check on our little Luke'

Lucas felt his rage subside, he could have sworn she wanted him distracted for some other reason.

'No other reason except that I'm bored' Gail said reading his mind.

Lucas inhaled deeply and regarded her curiously. She had gone to check on their boy, that made sense and she had suddenly chosen a name for him. His eyes trailed down to her short black dress and he pushed his free hand up the inside of her leg. 'Luke huh? I like it' he whispered in ear, as he released his grip on her neck and caressed her breasts.

Gail inhaled deeply, then gripped his wrist that was under her dress. 'No' she said and pushed him off of her.

'No?' Lucas asked in disbelief, then grabbed hold of her, spun her around and pressed her into the wall.

'Lucas stop, I can't!' she snapped, then let out a relieved sigh when he spun her back around to face him.

'This is gonna be hard Darlin'...' Lucas let out a frustrated laugh, then pushed her back against the wall. '...although, I know what that we can do'

Gail shook her head when he knelt down in front of her and tried to pull him back up. 'Lucas please stop...' she pleaded, '...We can't have sex and this is unnecessary'

Lucas pulled her panties down, then nuzzled his nose into her sweet spot and inhaled her scent. 'Go on Gail, plead again' he goaded, then began to nip and suck her sweet spot.

Gail let out a loud moan and clenched her hands into fists on the wall. She had not wanted this, she just wanted to make him doubt his suspicions; however, she should have expected this reaction, considering what their relationship was based on.

The laughter of Peter Emory flowed through her head and she felt the darkness within her block it out. The feeling of his tongue inside her was causing her intense pleasure and she was struggling to keep the volume down.

'Let it go Gail' Lucas ordered, as he lifted her leg over his shoulder to allow him to go deeper and went back to playing with his tongue.

Gail felt her orgasm rising and called out as her climax burst through her, she then collapsed to the ground and allowed Lucas to hold her.

'Next time you get bored, just tell me Gail' he whispered, then turned her face to his and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

Gail stroked his cheek and kissed him more forcefully, before pulling away. 'I want to stay with Caleb and Merlyn tonight, they shouldn't be left on their own' she said and smiled when Lucas nodded.

'I'll allow it this once, but our little Luke is coming home tomorrow whether you like it or not Gail' he stated, then helped her up and took her back into the Pool Hall.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Caleb awoke to the smell of eggs and bacon trailing into his bedroom. He knew Merlyn could not cook; therefore, he pushed Rocky off his bed and went down the stairs to see who was here. Caleb smiled when he saw Gail in her pajamas with her loose over her shoulders, standing over the stove.

'I thought you weren't allowed to leave the Buck Mansion' Caleb said, as he took a seat at the table and picked up a glass of pure orange juice that had already been set out for him.

'I convinced my keeper to let me check up on you reprobates, is that a crime?' she asked playfully and started placing the bacon on a plate.

Caleb liked seeing his cousin in this playful mood, it had been a while since they had joked together. 'Nah, as long as your keeper don't lock us up too'

'I can imagine he'd have hard job keeping us all in line' Gail laughed, then placed the scrambled eggs and bacon onto the table.

Merlyn walked into the kitchen, with her long brown messy hair loose over her shoulders. 'Lucas let you out? That's a first' she yawned and sat down to the cooked breakfast.

'Will you two behave? I'm taking one for the team here...If I argue then he'll try and get us all over there...' Gail said and sat down at the table. '...Besides, I bet you two are loving having no adults around'

'I do like staying up 'til midnight playin' Assassins Creed' Caleb looked at Merlyn and winked.

'You better not be!' Gail snapped, then rolled her eyes when the pair started laughing.

'Just jestin'' Caleb smiled and took a bite of his toast.

Gail smiled and watched as they both wolfed down their breakfast. She felt bad not being here to cook for them every morning; however, she knew Lucas would drag them to his place if she fought back. 'Seriously though, how are you both? I miss you' she asked sadly.

Merlyn rolled her eyes at her cousins comment, if she cared so much about them she would stand up to Lucas and refuse to allow him to take control here. She was sick of having to be understanding of everyone else's feelings when she could not act on her own.

Caleb spotted the change in his sister and spoke up. 'We're fine cous', you don't gotta worry' he smiled, then finished eating his breakfast.

Gail had caught Merlyn's look and chose not to bite. 'I'm gonna get a shower, once your done get ready for school and I'll drop you off' she said, as she got up and ruffled Caleb's hair.

'Merly...'

'Oh Merly what?' Merlyn snapped at her brother, then got up from the table and walked out of the kitchen. She spotted Gail's bedroom door was slightly ajar and decided she was going to wear something different today, so entered the room to raid her closet while she was in the shower.

When Merlyn walked in, she noticed newspaper clippings all over the bed and a large notepad. Gideon was laying at the bottom of the bed and raised his head to regard her suspiciously, then placed his head on his paws again and closed his eyes. As the dog did not appear to be threatened by her presence, she continued to approach the bed and glanced at the notebook.

Merlyn was taken aback when she saw her Fathers name, she started to read the notes and it appeared Gail was gathering background information on Gage. Gail had never really been interested much in Gage, she had attempted to disregard how they were raised and focus on moving forward; therefore, this sudden turn towards the past was concerning.

'It looks like I need a lock' Gail sighed, leaning against her bedroom door and shooting Gideon a disapproving look.

Gideon gave off a large yawn, then crept under the bed so not to be disturbed.

Gail laughed and shook her head. 'I guess I also need a better guard dog too...What are you doing in my room?' she asked, unimpressed at the intrusion.

'I was gonna borrow some clothes...' Merlyn said truthfully, '...I thought you were in the shower'

'I forgot my robe, lucky really considering you invaded my privacy...Find anything worth while in that?' Gail nodded towards the notepad.

Merlyn could sense Gail's anger rising and began to feel nervous, she hated it when her cousin got like this as it reminded her of Lucas. 'I didn't come in here to spy Gail, I'm just sick of my clothes' she snapped, without thinking.

Gail narrowed her eyes at Merlyn and let out a small laugh. 'Then tell me that and I'll take you to get new ones...Now what did you read?'

'You're lookin' into my daddy, why?' Merlyn asked curiously, when Gail's anger appeared to subside.

'You're a young girl...do you really wanna know what I'm doing, given my track record?'

Merlyn laughed and shook her head. 'I'm sick of you and everyone else treatin' me like a child, you of all people should now I've seen more than most...You're different, Lucas has spotted it and so have I. If your change is somethin' to do with my daddy, then just spit it out and maybe I can help'

Gail regarded the girl curiously then sat on the bed. 'The syn's of our Fathers huh...How were we ever supposed to grow up normal with what we endured?'

Merlyn watched her cousin carefully, something had clearly gotten to her and she sensed she could not let it go. 'Maybe what we endured made us stronger' Merlyn suggested, then sat down beside her.

'Maybe it just made us damaged and unable to live a normal life...' Gail sighed and handed Merlyn a picture of Gage with Peter, which she had found in Abe's attic. '...They look quite friendly don't they? Who'd have thought one was screwing the other ones wife and one was beating on his family?...It appears we come from a long line of deranged individuals'

Merlyn looked at the picture of her Father and Peter Emory, then sighed. 'What do you think drove them to their behaviour?' she asked, surprised that she actually had someone to talk about this stuff.

'What makes any man do what they do?...' Gail shrugged, '...I suspect it gave them a sense power. Women use their sexuality and men use their fists...well some that is, not everyone is like that'

Merlyn nodded to indicate her understanding. 'When I died and first witnessed other children with their parents, I was so confused...I thought what my Father did was normal I guess' she confided.

Gail glanced at her cousin curiously, this was the first time she had mentioned her past fate and she was not sure she wanted to go down that road. 'I was passed around through different foster homes and my childhood wasn't much different than what it was here. I knew that behaviour was wrong, but I'd created some sort of perfect fantasy childhood...I can't believe I pushed down my true memories of that time'

'Do you hate him? Your Father I mean'

'I did until...' Gail started, then came to her senses and stopped.

'Until what?' Merlyn asked, sensing the caution in her cousin.

Gail laughed and stood up. 'It doesn't matter...Let me ask you this, do you think Gage was smart enough to come up with an elaborate plan to trap my Father in his place work and set the fire?'

Merlyn regarded Gail cautiously. 'I've never thought about it, why do you ask?'

'I'm asking you to think about it now...Being raised by that man, did he ever come across as calculating? Caleb was too young to notice something like that, but you wouldn't be'

Merlyn thought for a moment, then shook her head. 'My Father didn't give off that type of nature, he was a simple man who drank a lot due to what had happened in his life'

'A victim of circumstance, I get that...' Gail nodded impatiently, '...What I don't get is how he came up with a plan like that all on his own. A simple man like Gage, brought up by a god fearing family...I can see him being taken by a woman's ways, I can't see him sitting down and drawing up a plan to kill that woman's husband. Not without help that is'

Merlyn stood up and approached her cousin. 'This is a bad road you're goin' down Gail. If Lucas finds out...'

'That I doubt his perfect airtight story of my parent's death, delivered to me all tied up in a little bow?'...' Gail interrupted, then changed tactics. '...Do you believe Judith killed herself?'

Merlyn took a step back and could not hide the horror on her face. Where was this all coming from? If she was not careful Lucas would not hesitate to kill them all, if it meant protecting his children.

Gail caught the look of horror on her face, then closed her eyes and put her head in her hands. How could she have been so blind and naive? Her Fathers laughter trailed through her head and caused her to curse out loud. 'Go get dressed, we need to take you shopping' she ordered through gritted teeth.

'What are you gonna do Gail?' Merlyn asked concerned.

'I'm going to get a shower, then you and I are going to go for some well overdue retail therapy after we've stopped by the hospital' she said, then grabbed her robe and headed to the bathroom.

* * *

Lucas stared down at his new born baby with a look of awe, he was a handsome child and Lucas knew he would make him proud. The fact that Gail had chosen to name the boy after him made him yearn for her even more than he had previously. He had doubted her commitment to their family; however, she had proven last night that her behaviour had all been due to mundane reasons.

Lucas bent down and took his son in his arms when he started to cry, then sat down on the chair beside the cot and picked up the pre-made bottle. He had been told that Gail had come by not long ago, to ensure the baby had food when he woke up and Lucas was happy to be the one to feed him. He had missed out on these mundane tasks when Caleb was born and was actually enjoying this closeness with his baby boy.

When the baby obediently started drinking his Mothers milk, Lucas smiled. His true reason for being here was to check on Walter; however, he was glad to be spending this quality time with his son. Walter was well enough, Lucas had seen to that as he would not let the man off so easily. He should be planning his next assault on the man, but he was content relaxing with his family.

'Can I get you anything Sheriff?' Rita asked, smiling when she saw how content both Father and son were.

'I got everthin' I need Darlin', but I appreciate the offer...How long did his Mother stay for earlier?' Lucas asked curiously.

Rita inhaled deeply and forced a smile. The truth was that she had argued with Gail over her lack of interest in the child and had forced her to provide milk for the baby, considering she was not here as much as she should be. 'She was here a good while Sheriff, her time was mostly taken up with providin' for the little angel' Rita lied.

Lucas sensed some unease in Rita; however, her mind appeared to be blocked from him. Clearly Gail did not want him interfering with the woman and he smiled at her forward thinking. 'You notice anythin' off about her recently?' he asked and watched her reaction carefully.

Rita gulped and shrugged. 'She's a young woman with her first child, everyone reacts differently'

Lucas nodded and glanced to Rita's left, where he spotted her baby Izzy in a pram asleep. 'You're a young woman with your first child...Do you take her wherever you go?'

Rita glanced at Izzy and could feel the sweat starting to pool on her forehead under her fringe. 'I haven't got anyone to look after her when Ben's workin', I don't have choice...Now if you'll excuse me Sheriff' she said, wanted to get away from the man.

Lucas laughed and shook his head, something still did not feel right here and Gail's barrier on Rita's mind strengthened his suspicion. Could she have played him last night? For her sake he hoped she had not.

* * *

Lucas sat across from Betty Maine and listened to her version of events from the previous night. He had chosen to allow Ben to take lead on this matter, so he could sit back and take it all in.

Betty swore that a brown haired woman had grabbed her arm, broke her companions beer bottle, then turned to her husband who was shouting at her companion and sliced his neck. She stated she had no control and the woman had unbelievable strength. When Ben informed her that no witnesses saw any other woman by her at the time, Betty broke down into tears again.

Suddenly Lucas sensed an intruder in his office and left the interview room, allowing Ben to finish up. He rushed to his office to confront the assailant and shook his head when he saw Gail perched on the edge of his desk, wearing a short maroon dress with thick black tights and knee high boots. She wore her hair in loose curls draped over her shoulders, just as he liked and he had to take a deep breath to control his urges to throw her down on the desk and take her right there.

'You've caused all kinds of problems Darlin'' he stated, as he closed the office door to give them some privacy.

Gail had received a call from Rita informing her that Lucas had been questioning her about Gail's time spent with the baby; therefore, decided to come and see him, to dispel his suspicions again. 'I'm sure I don't know what you mean Sheriff...I'm just a lonely Reporter trying to make her way in this boring little town' she smiled.

Lucas' eyes trailed down her body past her large breasts, to her crossed legs. He wanted nothing more than to bend her over and spank her hard for what she had done to poor Betty.

'Poor Betty who was already a pawn in your deluded game?...' Gail asked sweetly, '...I have no doubt that she benefited more from my interference than she would have if I left her with you'

Lucas smiled at her open admission of what she had done. 'I like this candid side of you Miss Emory, you should show it more often' he said, pulling her up holding her to his chest.

Gail licked her lips and nipped at his bottom lip teasingly. 'You really want me to be honest with you Lucas?' she whispered.

'Yes I do' he said, staring deep into his eyes.

Gail inhaled deeply, surveying the situation and then knelt down slowly. She would not be taken in by his charm and knew better than to trust him fully.

Lucas watched as Gail knelt down and started unzipping his trousers, his manhood instantly became hard when she came close. 'Have I done somethin' deservin' of a reward Darlin'?' he asked and bit his lip when she carefully freed his manhood.

Gail looked up at him and smiled devilishly. 'You wanted me to be honest? Well I want you in my mouth and I want it now' she said sweetly, then took his manhood in her mouth and began to suck.

Lucas let out a loud moan at the intense pleasure that surged through him when her mouth closed around him. He had not foreseen this and was in shock at the current act she was performing.

Gail let her tongue lick him from bottom to top, then started playing with his tip. She nipped at it gently, then took him back in her mouth and sucked. If there's one thing she had learned, it was that he could never resist when she performed this act and he was easily distracted by it.

Lucas felt his climax building inside of him, he experienced an intense burst of pleasure with each suck and loved the feel of her mouth on his manhood. When his orgasm came, he bit down on his fist to stifle his yell and exploded inside her mouth. Gail stood up and swallowed his residue, then pulled his face to hers and kissed him passionately.

'To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?' Lucas asked suspiciously, as he pulled free and nipped at her neck.

Gail turned her head to allow him access to her neck, then stroked her hands down his chest. 'Since when do I let you service me, without returning the favour?' she whispered and smiled when he stroked her back affectionately.

'Is there something you wanna tell me?' he asked seriously and stared deep into her eyes.

'Nothing yet Sheriff' she smiled, then placed a soft kiss on his lips and left the office.

Lucas placed his manhood back inside his trousers and zipped them back up, just in time for Ben entering his office.

'Was that Gail?' Ben asked curiously, then saw the suspicious look on Lucas' face and chose to remain quiet.

'If you're done with Betty come on, let's go check on our eldest' Lucas said, then grabbed his coat from behind the door and headed for his car.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Merlyn stood over her Fathers grave and shook her head, not only had he attacked her but he had killed Gail's parents. Had he not lost control on Caleb's 10th birthday, things may have been different and Lucas may not have had such an easy time getting rid of her. She wondered what he was thinking and could not believe the stupidity of her family.

She disregarded her Mothers grave and went to stand over by Gail's parents, she had not yet forgiven her Mother for what she had done to Gail and was not ready to face that. Instead she stared intently down at Peter Emory, she knew some things about Christine from when she had first become a ghost; however, Peter remained a mystery.

Gail had confided in her after they had dropped Caleb off at school, she had listened to what had happened when Gail was in a comatose state the previous week and had taken in all of what Peter had told her. He certainly wanted her to believe Gage did not act alone and Merlyn knew her Father had dealings with Lucas Buck when she was younger.

If Lucas did have something to do with Gail's parents death, he had hidden it well. It occurred to her that Lucas had been meddling with their family for longer than any of them had initially suspected and she started to wonder why he was so interested in them in the first place.

'Destiny...' Gail said, as she approached Merlyn. '...He believes no-one can control their own destiny and clearly felt connected to our family'

'He mustn't have initially sensed the connection with you, as he focused his attention on my Mother' Merlyn pondered.

'I was 8...' Gail shrugged and shot Judith's grave an untrusting glance, '...Besides, how does anyone truly decipher a connection? It's just a feeling after all and can easier be misconstrued'

Merlyn nodded, then turned to face her cousin. 'Did you get him off our backs?' she asked disapprovingly.

'For now...reserve your judgement for yourself, you've got Matt in such a confused state' Gail warned.

'I wish you'd keep out of that' Merlyn sighed.

Gail laughed and shook her head. 'I wish you wouldn't play with my mentally unstable friend, but we can't always get what we want'

'What are we doin' here Gail?' Merlyn asked, changing the subject.

The truth was Gail did not know, she needed to find a way to get the answers to her questions; however, her Father appeared to be very quiet today. She knew Merlyn had some sort of ability and had hoped she could find a way to communicate.

Merlyn laughed, reading her mind. 'I haven't been able to communicate with our family since you made me whole. Besides, from what you've told me Peter is clutching at straws, or he would have outright accused Lucas if he knew for sure'

Gail nodded, that was her take on this matter also. 'You think my dead Father is messing with me?' she asked, not believing that sentence had actually come out of her mouth.

Merlyn smiled at Gail's acceptance of speaking to her fallen family, she would never have been this susceptible if she had not returned to Trinity and she had previously not believed Gail would be able to look past her requirement for physical evidence. 'I don't know what I think, but if you start accusing Lucas of certain things he will retaliate'

'Like the death of your Mother? I assume I should refrain from accusing him of that should I?' Gail said sarcastically.

Merlyn blushed at the mention of her Mother, she had wanted someone to believe her and punish Lucas for so long; however, after the trick her Mother had pulled, she was not sure she had the whole story.

Gail watched Merlyn closely, she had asked Lucas outright a year or so ago about Judith and he had assured her that he had nothing to do with her death. She had believed him as he had appeared so sincere. If she found out that he had lied to her face so convincingly in that moment, it would call into question everything he had ever told her.

Merlyn sensed Gail's eyes on her and turned away, she suddenly caught sight of her Mother stood by her grave shaking her head in warning. She could tell Gail about what she knew, which would then lead her cousin to doubt the story Lucas had spun her about her own death at the hand of Gage. Gail seemed willing to accept the truth, in fact it appeared as though she needed it; however, a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach and her Mothers clear warning was causing her doubt.

'Merlyn?' Gail asked, curious why the girl had not responded to her comment.

'I was a child, I don't know what happened' Merlyn lied, then walked away and headed towards Gail's car.

Gail watched suspiciously as Merlyn shut down the conversation and just walked away. She glanced at Judith Temples grave and took in a long uneasy breath, then turned to follow Merlyn back to her car.

A large black crow stood silently on a tree branch overlooking the family graves, when the women were out of earshot it let off a loud caw and it's yellow eyes shone bright. It flew down to the gravestone of Peter Emory, before making it's flight to it's Master and pecked it's beak on the stone. Suddenly, sharp teeth wrapped around it's body and a loud crack could be heard.

Gideon shook the large crow whilst clamping his teeth down tight, then spat out the broken body on Peter Emory's grave. It gave a final look around the cemetery to ensure there were no other spies following his Master, then skulked back into the dark trees surrounding this sacred ground.

* * *

Lucas felt something dark stir within his mind, it was as though a message was trying to be delivered; however, it was snuffed out before it came fully through. He went to release his twin to find out what the cause of this strange feeling was; however, he was interrupted by his intended target approaching and got out of his car.

'Afternoon son, how are you doin'?' Lucas asked Caleb and smiled when he left Boone to meet him.

'I'm was alright...' he shrugged, '...What are you doin' here? I thought you'd be with the baby'

Lucas laughed and patted Caleb on the shoulder. 'Well I thought it was about time his Momma looked after him while I focused on my first born'

Caleb glanced around to ensure Boone was not within earshot, then shot Lucas a worried look. 'Gail will kill you if that get's around' Caleb warned and moved closer to his Father.

Lucas shrugged and leaned against his car. 'Do you care who knows?' he asked curiously.

'Nah...' Caleb answered without hesitation, '...but it might be hard to explain to people'

Lucas nodded and folded his arms over his chest. 'You're a very smart boy...very perceptive'

'Whatever that means...Look, I gotta go. Me and Boone are headin' down to Johnson's Bridge to see if any bass will bite' Caleb smiled, looking forward to fishing regardless of whether they actually caught anything.

Lucas glanced over Caleb's shoulder and saw Boone standing obediently, waiting for his friend. 'Well what a coincidence, Ben and I picked up Ben Jr for that very same activity'

'Nah you didn't' Caleb laughed and shook his head, then followed Lucas around the back of the car.

Lucas opened the boot and showed his boy four fishing rods. 'I wouldn't lie to you son...' he said and signaled for Caleb to get into the car. '...Why don't you boy's jump in? We'll make a little party outta this'

Caleb looked towards Boone, who was waiting patiently for him and signaled for him to join them. 'Alright...but only if you're gonna get us some grub, we're starvin'' he laughed, then got into the car next to Ben Jr.

Lucas smiled and closed the boot of his car. If only all of the family were this easy to please.

* * *

Rita rocked Izzy in her arms, whilst watching Matt try to comfort Gail and Lucas' baby. The baby had fallen asleep after Lucas had fed him in the morning; however, he was certainly awake now and would not take the bottle they had been attempting to give him.

Rita had called Ben hoping to get Lucas down here, as Matt ordered her not to bother Gail; however, apparently the men were on a fishing trip with their boys, therefore, she had no choice but to call Gail. Her friend had not been impressed with the interruption and had terminated the telephone call, that had been 10 minutes earlier and Rita did not know what to do.

'You can stop stressing and focus on your own child' Gail said irritated, as she entered the room with Merlyn.

Matt looked towards Gail confused. 'What are you doing here?' he asked, then glanced at Rita who clearly called his friend when he told her not to.

'I called her 10 minutes ago...I had to Matt, listen to him screamin'!' she snapped, then took Izzy out of the room when she started crying too.

'You got here in 10 minutes?' he asked, trying to talk over the baby's cries.

'She may have ran a few red lights and drove over the speed limit' Merlyn admitted.

Gail shrugged off Matt's disapproving look and approached the baby. 'What's wrong with him?' she asked, staring down at her baby boy.

'I can't be sure, but I'd say he wants his Mother' Matt suggested and signaled for her to pick the baby up.

Gail sighed and took the baby into her arms. She still did not feel connected to this thing and sensed the evil radiating off of him. When Gail picked up her son, his cries stopped. She shook her head at how red his face was and began to feel something strange in her chest. 'How long has he been crying?'

'Non stop since he woke up about an hour ago' Rita said, returning to the room after she settled Izzy.

'We think he's hungry, but he isn't taking the bottle' Matt said and tried to avoid looking at Merlyn.

'Did anyone get in touch with Lucas?' Gail asked.

'I tried, but him and Ben are out fishin' with the boys' Rita said shaking her head.

'Of course they are' Merlyn sighed and rolled her eyes.

Gail stared down at the baby confused, then smiled when he took her finger and started sucking it.

'We need to sort this out if I'm going to sign him off for release' Matt said, as he came to Gail's side.

'Release?' Gail asked, then remembered what Lucas had said the previous night. He knew she was not ready for this; however, he still pulled rank here and went behind her back to get their baby discharged.

Merlyn sensed Gail's irritation and stepped in. 'If the baby won't feed how in god's name is she supposed to look after him? And since when does a Mother not have a say in these things? Or do you pride yourselves on undermining women for Lucas Buck?'

Matt turned towards the girl and regarded her angrily, he resented the accusation and would never side with Lucas Buck; however, he truly believed Gail needed to stop running from this and that was why he had chosen to discharge the child.

'Get out' Gail ordered calmly, as she continued to watch the baby.

Everyone looked at Gail confused and she took a deep breath, before turning towards them all. 'Get out!' she snapped, then watched as everyone left the room. Now it was just her and the baby, this was the first time she had been truly alone with him and it made her feel uneasy.

'What am I going to do with you?...' she asked, then sat down on the chair next to the plain white cot the baby had been living in. '...I haven't even figured where you're going to live, let alone picked up a bed or supplies...I swear that man is trying to drive me crazy'

The baby just stared up at his Mother peacefully and continued sucking her finger.

Gail shook her head and let out a small laugh. 'So you won't take the bottle, but you'll take my finger? You're as confusing as your Father' she sighed and reached for a cushion at the bottom of the cot, then placed it under the baby's head for support.

The baby let go of her finger and started crying again, Gail bit her lip in exasperation then took off her cardigan and pulled down her dress straps. 'This is a first for me too, so you play nice' she ordered and felt her nerves flow through her body.

Gail thought back to everything Rita had been attempting to teach her, when feeding Izzy. She had not wanted to do this; however, it was the most natural way and she had no choice if they baby was refusing to take the bottle. She positioned the baby as Rita had shown her, pulled down her bra then carefully placed her breast inside the baby's mouth. She closed her eyes tight when the first bolt of pain surged through her, then tried to relax and allow the baby to feed naturally.

Lucas poked his head through the door, quietly observing Gail's behaviour. He was never going to ignore Rita's call when it involved his son and he just wanted to see how committed Gail was. He smiled when he saw her breastfeeding their boy and felt the urge to go to them both; however, he sensed Gail's mood with him was not good and chose to allow them to bond in peace. When he started to walk out of the hospital, he spotted Merlyn coming down the corridor with two cups of coffee.

'So you decided to show after all?' she asked bitterly.

'This is my family Missy, but the boy's Mother seems to have it under control...You enjoy your afternoon here in this cold hospital, I gotta go have some fun with my first born' he gloated, then laughed when Merlyn just shook her head and walked away.

-To be continued-


	6. Chapter 6

Gail lay back in the uncomfortable hospital chair, rocking her baby to sleep. She was thankful Merlyn had thought ahead to bring her some coffee as feeding the child had sapped all of her strength.

When the baby was sound asleep, she placed him gently into the cot and rubbed her painful breast. 'Well that was a new experience' she laughed and took a large sip of her coffee.

'At least you convinced Lucas that you're on his side...Do you remember what we were doing this time last year?' Merlyn asked, then approached the cot and smiled at the peaceful child.

Gail let out a long sigh and shook her head. 'You know so much time has past since then, I couldn't even hazard a guess'

Merlyn remembered, it was the run up to Christmas and Gail went all out to make it special for them. She did not have the heart to put another responsibility on her cousin, so she just shrugged it off and continued to watch the baby.

'That son of a bitch is out fishing and I'm supposed to stay here with the baby?...' Gail said in disbelief, not noticing the change in Merlyn. '...You know what? I don't believe we got to our shopping trip yet'

Merlyn turned towards her cousin, sensing the mischief radiating off of her. 'What do you have in mind?'

'What's say we take a run into town? I know a few townspeople who'd love to please Lucas Buck's baby Momma' she smiled.

* * *

Lucas dropped Boone off at his farm house after he had dropped Ben off with Ben Jr, leaving him alone in the car with Caleb. He had not smothered the boy while they were at Johnson's Bridge and allowed him to play with his friends; however, he was concerned about him with the new addition to their family and wanted to make sure everything was alright.

'I wish you'd stop lookin' at me out the corner of your eye, I can see you' Caleb smiled and looked out at road.

Lucas laughed and nodded. 'Alright, I was just wonderin' how you're doin' with everythin' that's happened'

Caleb's smiled faded and he sighed. 'I'd be better if you didn't lock my cousin away in that huge house of yours' he said truthfully.

Lucas glanced at the boy and narrowed his eyes. 'Since when do you care where that ol' cousin of yours stays?'

'Since she cooks me a hot breakfast every mornin'' Caleb laughed, continuing to survey the surroundings outside the car.

'There's nothin' stoppin' you from comin' home with us son, we'd love to have you and that way we could be a real family' Lucas suggested.

Caleb thought for a moment, then shook his head. 'Merly wouldn't like that and I won't leave her alone, neither would Gail...Besides, Gail don't wanna stay there all the time anyhow'

'That ol' cousin of yours doesn't have a choice, I won't allow my son to be taken away from me' Lucas said in a serious tone.

'You allowed me to be' Caleb shrugged, then gripped his seat when he felt the car screech to a sudden halt.

'That was beyond my control son...the parties involved changed the rules' Lucas said, turning towards him.

Caleb regarded his Father curiously. 'You mean my Momma or Gage?' he asked.

'This is none of your concern son'

'I beg to differ, especially when Gail's lookin' into Gage now...' Caleb said without thinking, '...I guess she's curious about it all too'

Lucas grabbed Caleb's arm and pulled him close. 'What do you mean? Where'd you hear that?' Lucas asked angrily.

Caleb pulled him arm out of Lucas grasp and back up towards the front passenger door. 'I heard her and Merly talkin' earlier...what's wrong?'

Lucas laughed and shook his head, so this was what he had been unable to put his finger on with her odd behaviour. 'Nothin' son, I just think it's about time we found that ol' cousin of yours and your sister' he said and started up the engine.

* * *

Lucas had searched the usual hang outs for Gail and Merlyn, after he had confirmed they were no longer at the hospital. He had tried the Trinity Guardian, suspecting Gail would go into work if she was bored; however, apparently she had not been in recently. He drove the Abe's Antique Store and his old friends house, but Abe had also done a disappearing act.

Lucas was starting to get agitated, so he headed to his place with Caleb in the car and smiled when he saw Gail's blood red Mustang parked further down the street.

'I told you we shoulda come here first' Caleb said and exited the car.

Lucas disregarded his son's smug tone and headed towards his front door, where there appeared to be a note stuck on. When he got closer and took out the pin to examine the paper, he realised it was not a note but item receipts. He shot Caleb a confused glance, then inspected the pile of receipts in his hand.

'$200 at Nancy's dress Boutique, $100 in Sandy's Footwear...$500 at Marvin's Crafts...what the hell?' he asked, when he noticed the items had been purchased to his tab.

Caleb sensed the rage beginning to build within Lucas and chose to head inside so he could stay out of his way. When he opened the door, he was greeted by a large Christmas tree in the entrance hall and ran towards it.

'Oh hell no' Lucas said through gritted teeth when he saw the Christmas tree and stormed into his house. He heard voices in his Study and headed straight there, ready to reprimand to guilty party; however, he stopped in his tracks when he saw Abe sat comfortably in his grandfather chair, playing chess with Billy. Before he could say anything Abe put a finger up to silence him, but did not take his eyes off his game.

'Shush boy, let's not distract the good Doctor before he makes his move...I don't want him havin' an excuse when I beat him' Abe smiled and laughed at Billy's look of irritation.

'You never told me this old man had so much whit about him Lucas' Billy said, then concentrated on the game.

Lucas' jaw dropped open in disbelief at the seemingly normal way everyone was acting in his home when they were uninvited, then spotted Merlyn smirking in the corner with a number of shopping bags on the floor beside her. 'Somethin' funny?' he asked, not amused.

Merlyn laughed and pulled her new cashmere cardigan over her chest. 'It ain't nice havin' intruders around is it?'

Lucas inhaled deeply in an attempt to push down her anger, then knelt down close to Merlyn so Abe could not hear him. 'You better tell me where she is Merlyn Ann, or you'll be wearin' that cardigan around your neck' he threatened.

Merlyn smiled and shook her head. 'Somehow I doubt you'll be brave enough to do somethin' like that in front of your old friend' she said glancing at Abe, then stood up and went to find her brother so they could decorate the tree.

Lucas stood up and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, he was starting to feel unhinged at these intrusions and the fact that no one was taking him seriously did not help the matter.

'Upstairs boy...but you be nice' Abe called, sensing his friends frustration.

Lucas nodded his thanks to Abe, then headed out of the study and took the back way to his bedroom. He did not want to give Gail the pleasure of knowing he was coming and wanted to catch her off guard; therefore, he walked down a long corridor and up a hidden set of stars, until he reached his walk in wardrobe. He opened the door slowly and was taken aback when he saw Gail standing silently staring out of the window, next to a large wooden cot.

'What did you think I'd spend $500 of your money on, a manicure?' she asked calmly.

Lucas was unsure how he felt about her sensing his presence, part of him was suspicious; however, another part of him was happy that their connection was still strong. 'You've been busy' he said, walking up to her and placing the receipts on the window sill.

Gail gave an uninterested glance at the receipts and continued to stare out of the window. 'You forced me to do an act I wasn't ready to do, I think I deserve a little something to brighten my day'

Lucas stroked his hands along her shoulders, then let them trail down her back before gripping her hips possessively. 'You did what was required of you and it was beautiful Darlin', but $800 of my money spent...'

'Over $1000 if you count the tree and decorations, but who's counting' Gail interrupted smugly.

'Since when does the independent Gail Emory take advantage of my stature?' he asked irritated.

'Since she figured out you came up with the plan to kill her parents and goaded a dim-witted man into carrying it out' she accused, then pushed his hands off her hips and went to examine the cot.

Lucas was surprised by the accusation and realised this was why she was looking into Gage Temple. 'We have a baby and you accuse me of being an accomplice to a murder...wow, you really are trying to find a way to get out of this aren't you?' he joked.

Gail forced a laugh and shook her head. 'I'd accuse you of murdering my Aunt too, but we've already been down that road and you wouldn't have lied to me would you Sheriff?' she asked sweetly.

Lucas watched her carefully and tried to figure out the best play here, when he saw that she was serious he laughed. 'This is getting tedious...If you have somethin' to ask me just go ahead and do it Gail, or are you afraid of the answers?' he goaded.

'As if you'd ever tell me what I really wanna know...you're a liar Lucas' she spat out.

Lucas would not stand by and be insulted in his own home; therefore, he grabbed her and slammed her against the wall. 'Let's talk about deceit shall we?...' he said venomously, then pulled off her tights and pinned her securely against the wall '...Last night and your visit today, was that you really wanting me? Or did you lie and use your powers of persuasion to distract me?'

Gail could feel the rage rising within her and did not attempt to push it back down as usual. 'Let's talk about our deal, did you show me the whole truth or just the part that vindicated you as a suspect?'

Lucas felt his twin just below his surface and allowed him to remain ready. 'Let's talk about the baby, now that he's here what do you truly see?'

Gail smiled maliciously and stared deep into his eyes. 'A demon like his Father...a pit of darkness that should not have been released'

Lucas shook his head at her hurtful comment then ripped off her panties, lifted her up against the wall and wrapped her legs around his waist. If she wanted to truly hurt him then he would repay the favour; therefore, he unzipped his pants, pulled out his hard manhood and thrust it deep inside her, whilst securing her arms above her head. Lucas smiled wickedly at her painful moan due to his entry and began thrusting in and out of her.

Gail had not expected this turn and cursed herself for being so vulnerable. She would not give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he was hurting her and bit down on her lip to stifle her painful yell.

Lucas bit at her neck in pleasure and moved his lips to hers instinctively for a kiss; however, when his lips brushed against her cheek, he tasted a salty tear on his lips. Although the intense pleasure of being inside of her was exquisite and he had been yearning for this, he instantly removed his manhood and placed her gently on the ground. He reached for a tissue when he saw a small trail of blood begin to run down her thigh and for the first time he experienced a feeling of regret.

'You feel better now?' Gail asked bitterly and took the tissue from him to clean herself up. There was only a little blood; however, she had no doubt the pain would remain for a while and she would have some explaining to do at her weekly check up with Matt.

'Ask me your questions Gail' Lucas sighed, not liking the remorseful feeling he was experiencing.

Gail sensed the change in him and ran her fingers through her hair, then reached for her panties and put them back on. The sound of a baby crying outside the bedroom door caught her ears and she hid the blood stained tissue behind her back, just in time before Matt entered the room with their baby.

'This one has been crying since we left the hospital' Matt smiled, then noticed Lucas was in the room and shot him a look of resentment.

Lucas glanced at Gail, who stood with her hands behind her back, then went to Matt and took his son. 'Thanks Doc' he said and stood by the window with the baby.

Matt stared at Lucas confused, not recalling the man ever thanking him previously and glanced at Gail, who just shrugged impatiently. 'OK then, I'll be at the Boarding House if you need anything' he said to Gail.

'You'll be at Gail's house and Floyd will be on call to drive you over if we need anythin'' Lucas corrected and rocked the baby in his arms, smiling when he stopped crying instantly.

'Oh will he?...' Gail questioned, then saw reason and turned back towards her friend. '...You actually might as well, as I won't be there for the moment'

'I can't do that, what about...'

'She'll be watchin' Abe, the old man got used to his Rosie keepin' him company and the girl has grown fond of him, no matter how much she tries to hide it' Lucas interrupted.

Gail shot Lucas an irritated glance, then forced a reassuring smile for Matt. 'There you go, M will be with Abe so it's all settled for now. Why don't you go have a game of chess with Abe...he'd love the challenge of a smart mind'

Matt sensed the tension in the room and was happy to leave, although he was concerned for his friend and did not trust this place. 'I'll be downstairs if you need me'

'Her mutt is just under the bed if she requires any protection Harvard, now go to Abe' Lucas ordered and disregarded Gideon, who crept from underneath the bed at the sound of his name.

Gail nodded for Matt to leave, then went to Gideon and gave him an affectionate stroke.

'I'm waitin' Gail' Lucas said impatiently and carefully placed the baby in the large handmade cot.

Gail sighed and stood up, she could sense he was annoyed at himself for hurting her and it caused her guard to falter. Suddenly Gail heard her Fathers laughter in her head and his voice calling her a coward. She turned away from Lucas for a moment and closed her eyes tight in an attempt to drown it out, then felt Lucas' hands on her hips. She allowed him to turn her around and stroke her cheek, then shrugged his hands off of her and walked towards the baby.

'I'm gonna put what you said about our boy down to confusion due to what you went through and all, but I won't stand for anythin' jeopardizing his quality of life...If you really need to answers to your questions to move on Gail, then ask me. This is a one time only offer'

Gail stared down at her son and smiled when he smiled up at her. Her Father had well and truly screwed with her head and it was this little guy that was suffering because of it. 'Did you plan the fire?' she asked, deciding to get to the truth once and for all.

'I did' Lucas answered honestly.

Gail took a deep breath, then turned to face him. 'Did you intend on killing my Mother?'

Lucas shrugged, 'Sometimes innocent people get caught in the crossfire...it wasn't my intention, or Gage's'

'But my Father was fair game?'

'Absolutely' Lucas answered, unable to read how she was taking this.

Gail nodded for a moment and heard her Fathers ramblings in her head. Lucas had been honest with her, she sensed that; therefore, it was time that she was honest with him. 'I can hear him' she said and felt tears welling in her eyes.

Lucas regarded her suspiciously for a moment, then released his twin to examine her when he sensed she had dropped her guard. Lucas laughed and shook his head, he sensed Peter instantly and thought back to all the times his own Father attempted to sabotage him. 'You appear to have let him in love, which means only you can dispel him' he sighed and stroked her cheek tenderly, now understanding the reason for her doubt.

Gail took a deep breath and released her darkness, within a moment her Fathers whispers were gone and her head was clear. 'This is not OK...If we are going to do this, you need to be honest with me' she told him, still unsure of how she felt about what he had confirmed.

Lucas nodded, if she truly wanted him to stop shielding her he would oblige. 'Was there anythin' else you wanted to know?' he asked, sensing there was still something unresolved.

Gail thought about Judith Temple for a moment, then disregarded the woman and shook her head. They were not the same and she needed to stop focusing so much on the past.

A knock came on the door, which caused them both to let out a relieved sigh. Caleb popped his head around the door, to see if it was safe for him to enter and slowly entered the room with Merlyn.

Lucas put his arm around Gail and stroked her back reassuringly, then turned his attention towards his son. 'You came here to see your little brother?' he smiled.

Caleb nodded nervously, then went to the cot when Lucas signaled for him to come in.

Merlyn shot Gail a concerned look and when Gail approached her in an agitated state, she put an arm around her shoulder. 'Let's leave the boy's to it, I need a drink' Gail whispered and left the room to go find her friends.

-The end-


End file.
